Alzheimer-type dementia, or alternatively Parkinson's disease, is a brain dysfunction caused by degeneration or loss of neurons. Brain dysfunctions a also caused by degeneration or loss of neurons due to cerebral infarction, cerebral apoplexy, or such.
Alzheimer-type dementia is treated by treatments using cholinesterase inhibitors or muscarinic receptor agonists. For Parkinson's disease, dopamines or dopamine-like agonists are administered. However, treatments using such pharmaceutical agents are symptomatic treatments, and although the symptoms improve temporarily, they neither stop nor delay the progress of the pathological condition. There is also no therapeutic method aimed at completely curing brain dysfunctions caused by cerebral infarction, cerebral apoplexy, or such.
Multiple sclerosis presents symptoms such as lightheadedness, blurry vision, double vision, dysuria, pain, numbness, and epilepsy. Although their cause is not known, these symptoms are considered to develop due to the degeneration or loss of neurons of the central nervous system such as the cerebrum, midbrain, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, spinal cord, or optic nerve. There are also cases in which the neurons of the peripheral nervous system are degenerated or lost. Therapeutic methods involve administration of steroid agents, interferons, or immunosuppressive agents. However, all of these pharmaceutical agents only delay the progress of the pathological condition, and do not provide a complete cure.
Motor paralysis such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease in which voluntary movement is impossible due to the impairment of motor nerves ranging from the motor center to the muscles. Paralysis due to impairment of the upper motor nerve ranging from the cerebrum to the spinal anterior horn cells is called central paralysis; that due to impairment of the lower nerve ranging from the spinal anterior horn cells to the muscles is called peripheral paralysis. Depending on the location, motor paralysis can be categorized into monoplegia (paralysis of only one limb), hemiplegia (unilateral upper and lower limb paralysis), paraplegia (paralysis of both lower limbs), and quadriplegia. Therapeutic methods that match the symptoms of each individual (such as rehabilitation and nerve transplantation) are carried out, but complete functional recovery is difficult and treatment takes a long time.
Diabetes or lower urinary tract diseases such as prostatic hyperplasia lead to loss or degeneration of neurons of the bladder or around the bladder, and then urinary dysfunctions such as over- or underactive bladder are caused by imbalances between urine collection and urination. Urinary function may also become abnormal when the urination center is damaged by cerebral infarction, cerebral apoplexy, or such. Urinary dysfunctions such as frequent urination, polyuria, and residual urine significantly lower a patient's “quality of life” (QOL), and are considered clinically important problems. These dysfunctions are treated by symptomatic treatments using anticholinergic agents in combination with treatments of the causative diseases.
Neuralgia such as cancer pain, diabetic pain, and trigeminal neuralgia is called neurogenic pain, and is intractable pain. The causative diseases are treated and pain relief using analgesic agents or local anesthesia is carried out, but there are no methods that directly treat the injured neurons. Furthermore, since diabetes damages nerves throughout the body, it induces neuropathies such as sensory paralysis.
Cyclohexenone long-chain alcohol compounds are known to have neuronal growth-promoting activity (for example, Patent Document 1). However, if compounds with better activity can be provided, they would be useful.    [Patent Document 1] WO99/08987